Race/Ethnicity Questions 121-130

THE QUESTION:
R130: Why do people assume that all Asians are smarter at math and science?
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Miranda B., 19 <lbrockwa@gulfsurf.infi.net>, Pace, FL

ANSWER 1:
Right now I’m studying engineering at university, and I can tell you that 40 percent of our first-year class is made up of people of Asian descent. Compare this to the percentage of Asians in Canada (I’m not sure what it is, but it’s lower than 40 percent). This would naturally suggest to some people that Asians are smarter or are better at math and science. In my experience, their academic success is a result of their work ethic.
POSTED APRIL 21, 1998
Marie, 22, Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada

FURTHER NOTICE:
There are just as many not-so-smart Asians as there are smart ones. The media doesn’t report about who is “dumb.” There are a lot more Asians in the world than any other race. I cannot imagine 40 percent of them are smarter than the rest of the world.
POSTED APRIL 23, 1998
M.G.C.S., 50, New York, NY
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THE QUESTION:
R129: How does an individual family celebrate Kwanzaa? I know the history, principles, etc. of Kwanzaa, but would like to hear individual opinions, feelings and family traditions regarding this holiday.
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Rosanne J., 33, female <rosannej@email.msn.com>, Ferndale, MI

ANSWER 1:
I have a friend who schedules an informal gathering on one of the nights of Kwanzaa. We each bring a dessert. There is a brief session where we read the principles of the holiday and the youngest child lights the menorah (sp?). Afterwards, we socialize. It’s a nice family activity.
POSTED APRIL 6, 1998
L.R., African American, N.C.

FURTHER NOTICE:
My (multi-cultural) family holds a potluck feast on New Year’s Eve, the second-to-last day of Kwanzaa, and the traditional night for the feast. We ask our guests to bring dishes reflecting their backgrounds (ethnicity, or family “traditions”). We also talk about the principle of each day with our kids (ages 6 and 3). We had tried getting a small gift for each day that reflected the principle, but it was too hard. (More accurately, we were too lazy!)
POSTED JULY 18, 1998
Janon, 38, multi-ethnic <janon_rogers@hp.com>, Lebanon, OR
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THE QUESTION:
R128: Why are Hispanics considered minorities? It certainly can’t be skin color. Italians and Greeks often have darker – or similarly dark – features, yet they are usually considered “white.” Why is it that a person with Spanish roots is a “person of color,” but an Italian or Greek person is “white”?
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Chico, 31, Italian <KingChico@webtv.net>
Dearborn Heights, MI

ANSWER 1:
It probably has more to do with wealth or (Hispanics’) lack of it. Also, there has probably been a larger amount of intermixing between Spanish people and Africans than other Europeans in the past, as the South of Spain was once settled by Moors from North Africa.
POSTED APRIL 1, 1998
BB, white European, Chelmsford, UK

FURTHER NOTICE:
“Minority,” like “race,” is only a concept, having various uses. A group is a “minority” when its members are negatively stereotyped and systematically deprived of privileges and rights. “Hispanics” tend to come from Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. These regions tend to support a good deal of ethnic mixing (European, African, American Indian), so white racists traditionally regard them as sullied or “polluted,” and thus open to scorn and exploitation: “Them,” not “us.” Interestingly, some Spaniards, desiring to maintain their European white privilege, are deeply offended when they are included in the stereotyped group of “Hispanics.”
POSTED APRIL 4, 1998
Will H., 48, white, Dallas, TX

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Americans often lump all persons from south of Texas into one big category. Argentina has a higher percentage of “European” descent than the United States (Italian, Polish, Spanish and German are all very large backgrounds for Argentines). Until the time of Juan Peron, Argentina was an equally logical choice for Catholics seeking to escape the problems of Europe. Paraguay also has an extremely high population that is of European-descent. In short, there are nations in South America that are “whiter” than the United States.
POSTED APRIL 16, 1998
Brendon, 26 <brendon.mcnamara@juno.com>
Buffalo, NY
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THE QUESTION:
R127: I am a middle-aged, white male university instructor. I interact professionally with students of many cultural/linguistic backgrounds. I sometimes have difficulty conversing with black (N orth American) males. I have broken through many linguistic barriers in my life, and I feel at times that some of these young men are choosing to be difficult to connect with linguistically. Am I wrong, and how might I approach this difficulty?
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
J. Peter <aacs@infoblvd.net>, Hornell, NY
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THE QUESTION:
R126: It seems to me that people of Asian (not Asian-American) descent stand closer to other people in public than do Westerners. Why is this?
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
S. Cook <taffy@drizzle.com>, Seattle, WA

ANSWER 1:
I had not heard this of Asians, but I know it’s true of Semitic peoples (Jews and Arabs). In the West, people’s personal space is roughly arm’s length. In the Middle East, personal space is half-an-arm’s length. That’s why if you get into a conversation with a Jewish or Arabic person, you may find yourself moving backward until you are literally up against a wall.
POSTED APRIL 3, 1998
Steve, KS

FURTHER NOTICE:
I am a New York-born Jew and have never heard nor seen that Semitic peoples as a group invade one’s personal space more than any other group. It is true that Jews are known to use their hands to emphasize points in a conversation, the old joke being if you force a Jew to sit on his hands he can’t talk. You can also make the same observation about Italians. However, these are generalizations not to be taken seriously. If someone who had never reviewed our history were taught this as fact and then saw movies of President Kennedy, they could draw the conclusion he was, through his often used mannerism of pointing his finger, our first Jewish president.
POSTED JUNE 15, 1998
Alan R., 45, Jewish <bix2@flash.net>, San Antonio, TX

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Many Asian cultures exist in small, crowded geographic settings such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc. Thus, individuals who live in those cultures can function with less personal space. An example is seen when people from the U.S. mainland visit Hawaii; they comment how the Japanese tourists get too close to people.
POSTED JUNE 27, 1998
Male, Honolulu, HI

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
As far as Japanese people go, we don’t stand very close to each other in public at all. My theory: Westerners (OK, Americans specifically) stand at about arm’s length because when two Americans meet, they generally shake hands as a greeting. Hence, arm’s length apart is a comfortable distance. Japanese folks, on the other hand, bow to each other. If we stood at arm’s length, we would bonk heads! So our space bubble is a bit wider – about four to six feet. I’ve been in the states for a very long time, so I am comfortable at either distance. Still, I can be caught off guard when I interact with people from ethnic groups whose personal space bubbles are much smaller, and they are much closer to me than I’m used to. It just feels so … intimate!
POSTED JUNE 28, 1998
A. Obana, 31, female, Japanese, <obana@corp.sgi.com>, San Francisco, CA

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I think this has a lot to do with the level of intimacy between the people. The more intimately you know a person, the more comfortable you are being physically closer. A lot of body-language books testify to this. In the East, two friends will know each other’s lives quite intimately, whereas in the West two friends might not know each other as intimately. In the East, a friend would be quite offended if you said to him/her that some aspect of your life was “none of their business,” whereas in the West, where there is a higher degree of respect for the private life of a person, if you say the same thing, it will be accepted.
POSTED JULY 1, 1998
K.D., Sri Lankan, Melbourne, Australia

FURTHER NOTICE 5:
Perception of the proper amount of personal space and (most) hand gestures is learned, cultural behavior. People raised in an Asian culture would have one set of behaviors. Their children growing up in America would be influenced by the behaviors here (for example, in crowds) and would have a different set than their parents. Not recognizing cultural differences in personal space is one of the prime reasons for comments such as “rude foreigners,” “pushy people” and “stand-offish, cold.”
POSTED SEPT. 3, 1998
J.B.D, 46, Texas

FURTHER NOTICE 6:
The fact that Asians require smaller personal space was evidenced by me during my years living in South Korea. When I first arrived, I was quite surprised by the complete lack of my “personal space” of the Korean people. If a bus seat were made for two people, three or more would try to sit on it simultaneously. It was impossible to find an organized queue; people stand so close so as to cause constant body-to-body contact. While talking to a shopkeeper, it wasn’t unusual to have another customer with his face between mine and the shopkeeper while completing my transaction. The Korean people are a very generous, close-knit people, and this smaller personal-space issue didn’t detract from my wonderful experiences with this culture. But as an American, I’ve grown used to my definition of personal space, and I was happy to get it back upon my return.
POSTED OCT. 23, 1998
Drainer, 40, white male <stark@myself.com>, Garden City, MI
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THE QUESTION:
R125: I live in an ethnically diverse neighborhood and often take long walks around the area. I’ve been wondering why it is that my white neighbors do not greet each other as they walk down the sidewalk, even though they all live in the same neighborhood and pass each other often.
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Sara S., Oakland, CA

ANSWER 1:
I bet you live in the city, right? People feel crowded and threatened by constantly being surrounded, and tend to withdraw into themselves. Out here in the country, where people have more space, you would never pass someone you know without speaking. Heck, you feel rude driving past a complete stranger without at least waving! I don’t know why black people would be different: Maybe they’re less hung up on privacy than white people.
POSTED APRIL 1, 1998
Colette, 32, white, WI <inkwolf@earthlink.net>
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THE QUESTION:
R124: Would a national apology to Africa Americans really help heal old wounds? What if a white person’s ancestors didn’t come to this country until after slavery? Should they apologize?
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Don L., 37, white <DLOCASC1@yahoo.com>, Redford, MI

ANSWER 1:
I’m white, but comparing this to a personal relationship, I find that it takes the sting out of a situation if the other person apologizes to me. It gives us a place to start in healing the rift, because they have acknowledged they did something wrong and they realize it hurt me. That acknowledgment means a lot to me; it eases the anger and/or hurt and opens the door for logical and calm resolution. I noticed when President Clinton apologized to the survivors of the Tuskegee Experiment, it made a lot of folks feel better about their government to see it could admit it had done something wrong. And I believe what is wanted is an apology from the President on behalf of any wrongdoers in the past, not necessarily an apology from you or me or other individuals. (Having said that, we white folks do need to recognize the hidden entitlements we are given every day, even now, that are a legacy of slavery. It isn’t just historical wrongdoings that cause bitterness and resentment; it’s things happening right now.)
POSTED APRIL 3, 1998
Joan, San Francisco, CA

FURTHER NOTICE:
If your boss forced you to work overtime for many, many years, without compensating you financially, and he and his family became rich as a direct result of your unpaid labor, and your family was relatively impoverished, would a simply apology suffice for you, or would it merely be salt in the wound, so to speak?
POSTED APRIL 3, 1998
B.T.M., black male, Detroit, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Whites today cannot apologize for the ignorance of people hundreds of years ago. Whites might be able to apologize for today’s ignorance, only because the ignorant people can be confronted about their ignorance. I do not see that an apology for something that is out of today’s control can be counted. And what would it do? Also, if white America apologizes to black America, then apologies should be made to Japanese-Americans, Spanish-Americans, Italian-Americans, Jewish people, women and the poor.
POSTED APRIL 8, 1998
Gail, Euless, TX

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I am of Irish decent and expect no apology for alll the “Irish need not apply” signs that were present when my ancestors came to America. I am glad I live in America and have made the best of what I have been given – the same opportunities that have been given to everyone who lives here. Every day, I am given choices of going to work or not, etc. I extend no apology for things I had nothing to with, and I expect none from other people who have not offended me.
POSTED APRIL 8, 1998
Dennis C., Flint, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
Many Europeans who came to the United States after slavery and during segregation were discriminated against, I agree. However, they and even black people whose skin was light enough to pass for “white” got reparations they are not aware of: assimilation into the (white) American society.
POSTED MAY 26, 1998
Kara, Japan
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THE QUESTION:
R123: I am doing a project on culture and the environment. How does culture affect the use/misuse of the environment? In particular in Canada, Japan and within a small African tribe?
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
L. Phillips, 18, white, Canadian
Woodstock, Ontario
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THE QUESTION:
R122: Why do Native Americans get so offended over phrases such as “sitting Indian style”?
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Stefan, Atlanta, GA

ANSWER 1:
For the same reason someone Jewish would get offended by the phrase “being a Jew” for being cheap or someone black would get offended by hearing “nigger-rigged” for something thrown together and badly made. The phrases promote stereotypes and trivialize prejudice. Unfortunarely, even fairly liberal people like Jerry Seinfeld (who should know better) feel it’s OK to do this to Indians, perhaps because we are such a small minority compared to others and have the least economic power of any group.
POSTED SEPT. 25, 1998
A.C.C., Mexican and American Indian, San Antonio, TX
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THE QUESTION:
R121: I’m a black woman, and I have always wondered: Why is it that every time a black person walks by a person of a different race who is inside a car, the person quickly locks the doors? Is it that they think we are going to rob them or do some type of harm to them?
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Velma E., Mt. Clemens, MI

ANSWER 1:
I’m afraid that’s exactly it. And I’m horrified that I sometimes do it, too. I find two parts to my fear: One, of course, is simple stereotyping (e.g., “blacks are violent”). Despite years of work, I cannot claim to be free of it. (Better, but not free). The second, for me at least, is my own imagining of what it would be like to grow up black in America. I grew up white – thus with privilege. When I try to imagine growing up on the wrong end of racism, I think I would want to savage every white person I saw. The fact that this is clearly not true of all black people takes my breath away. And I almost can’t believe it -so in the back of my mind, I wonder if that black man or woman walking past my car will be the one who wants a payback. Sad, no?
POSTED APRIL 4, 1998
Will H., 48, white, Dallas, TX

FURTHER NOTICE:
According to best-selling author Andrew Hacker (“Black and White”), Will H. is right on the money with his “revenge fear” assessment. He did a study in which he asked a number of Euro-Americans whether they would rather be robbed of $500 by someone of their own race or of $5 by a black person. Every single one picked the former, for the very reason Will H. mentioned.
POSTED APRIL 6, 1998
B.T.M., black male, Detroit, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
That is amazing to me that white people in America feel such mixed emotions about blacks. I always thought whites were acting ridiculous when they locked their door when someone black walked by them. It is interesting to know that they fear dealing with the pain of racism felt by blacks than they do of actual harm being done to them. It is not exactly heart-warming, but it is honest. I appreciate that.
POSTED APRIL 9, 1998
Carmela, black female, 29 <pecola@hotmail.com>
Atlanta, Ga

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
Let’s not assume that every prejudice is unfounded. In this case, I would ask how many carjackers are white – and how many are black. At least, of those we hear about on the news? (I’ll grant that the news may be biased, but that is a separate issue; I’m talking about the end perception.) And the various incidents of “black rage” certainly don’t help matters any.
POSTED APRIL 9, 1998
Glenn P., white, 39, <C128User@GTI.Net>
Washington, NJ

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
While all of these answers ring true, our society as a whole is getting more violent, so this situation will get worse before it gets better. I lock the door for all people.
POSTED APRIL 10, 1998
Cheryl C., Livonia, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 5:
I grew up in England at a time when I never met a person of another color until going to college in the 1950s. There, I met African princes with interesting facial tribal scars, melodious accents and flowing, beautiful robes. I dated a fascinating and handsome man from Pakistan who was a descendant of Mohammed, and I never felt any kind of hostility to anyone different from me. Then, in November 1969, I walked out of a Red Foxx performance in San Francisco (my companion and I were the only whites there). When Foxx made a racist remark about me as we left, I told him that that is what he was – a big mistake. I was followed home, forced into my car at knifepoint, robbed and terrorized by a black man who only stopped short of raping me and slitting my throat when I convinced him my companion was waiting for me, which he wasn’t. My wallet was found in Las Vegas two days later. My Piaget watch I never saw again. It took me years to be able to even get into an elevator with a black man without that stab of fear. So now, I lock my car door whenever there is a stranger near (automatically). Their skin color is unimportant, their feelings are unimportant. Saving my life is not. Each race has its bad apples, you see.
POSTED APRIL 10, 1998
Lee, 58, white, Tampa, FL

FURTHER NOTICE 6:
To Lee: Unfortunately, many in our society have made the terms “black” and “criminal” synonomous. I acknowledge that you had a terrible incident with a black male, but I would invite you to consider that being in a predominantly black area, if any crime were to happen, more than likely the criminal would be black. Such incidences also happen in predominantly white neighborhoods. Not surprisingly, the victim and the criminal are white, but we don’t judge every other white person by the action of the white criminal. This is not the case for African Americans, especially young men like myself. Perhaps you saw 20/20’s report on shoplifting. Store detectives intentionally targeted African Americans, claiming we steal more than whites. Yet, when the store’s shoplifting file was examined, most of the shoplifters were white. I wonder how many white shoplifters got away because the detectives were too busy looking at innocent African Americans.
POSTED APRIL 14, 1998
Johnson C., black male <guardian95@aol.com>, Lexington, KY

FURTHER NOTICE 7:
I believe it has to do more with the type of neighborhood your are driving through, as well as the appearance of the person walking by.
POSTED JUNE 11, 1998
Ed, 30, Hispanic, Anaheim, CA

FURTHER NOTICE 8:
As a white female, living in an area where crime is prevalent, I will lock my car door or try to avoid walking directly past someone if they look suspicious. For me it has nothing to do with race or skin color, but how that person presents himself/herself. If an individual wants to dress as if they belong in a gang, they will get treated accordingly by those of us who fear them, regardless of their true nature. And I don’t care if crossing the street to avoid passing someone is offensive to them, I would rather be safe than sorry. Why take chances? I know the saying ‘”You can’t judge a book by its cover,” and I think there is definitely a time and place where that is an important thing to keep in mind. But there are occassions when this is not realistic.
POSTED JUNE 16, 1998
Victoria, 29, white, CA

FURTHER NOTICE 8:
I think a lot of it has to do with the mass media’s portrayal of criminals, as well as victims. Recently, here in Baltimore, an elderly white man was held hostage in his car and threatened with a gun by a black drug dealer. Another black drug dealer came to his rescue, using his own gun to make the first one leave the man alone. Later, the elderly man stated for the local news that his perceptions of young black men had changed. He had an enlightenment. I saw the news investigation into who the security guards usually pinpoint as probably thieves. I know of a very “successful” shoplifting team, one black, one white, who use those same perceptions to do much damage in stores and other situations. The black one acts as a decoy, and while all the attention is on her, the white half of the team cleans up, and off they go. I bet there would be much surprise at how often this goes on.
POSTED NOV. 16, 1998
Siobhan, black <siobhan_101@hotmail.com>, Baltimore, MD
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